86 Jetta GLI Power Steering Noise

On May 23, 11:20 am, HerHusband > wrote:
> My wife has a 1986 Jetta GLI. The power steering has always made a whining
> sound when the fluid got low, but I recently replaced a couple of leaking
> power steering hoses, and now the steering pump seems to whine all the time
> (when making tight turns, not straight driving).
>
> At the same time, the steering feels a little "squirrely" despite new
> shocks, alignment, suspension adjustments, etc. Almost like the power
> steering is a little hypersensitive or something.
>
> Any idea whether the pump or the rack is at fault? Both are ridiculously
> expensive, though the pump would be a lot easier to replace.

Three things come to mind, other than a worn pump, but the worn pump
would be my first bet.
a) Air in the lines. When you replaced the lines, you may have
(somehow) trapped air in the rack.
b) A kink somewhere in some line that overloads the pump causing the
whine.
c) Something dislodged when you did the work and is restricting a
line.

You might try a junkyard pump, you would be no worse off than now at a
much lower price.

Depending on how strong and resilient your wife is, you might just
live with it until one-or-the-other fails. Typically the steering will
get harder and harder giving *some* warning before final failure. But
I would hate to have anyone driving off an highway ramp and suddenly
have no steering because something seized.

But, and I have to ask, you did have the *FULL* (4-wheel) alignment
done with all that suspension work, such that toe-in and camber is
present and correct? One of the symptoms of bad alignment is "loose"
steering, even a certain jumpiness.

Peter Wieck
Wyncote, PA

Peter,

>> My wife has a 1986 Jetta GLI. The power steering has always made a
>> whining sound when the fluid got low, but I recently replaced a
>> couple of leaking power steering hoses, and now the steering pump
>> seems to whine all the time (when making tight turns, not straight
>> driving).
>> At the same time, the steering feels a little "squirrely" despite new
>> shocks, alignment, suspension adjustments, etc. Almost like the power
>> steering is a little hypersensitive or something.

> a) Air in the lines. When you replaced the lines, you may have
> (somehow) trapped air in the rack.

I wondered about that, but the Bentley manual I have says the system is
essentially self-bleeding. It said to just turn the wheel lock-to-lock a
few times to bleed the air out of the system.

> b) A kink somewhere in some line that overloads the pump causing the
> whine.

I did check for kinks. None found.

> c) Something dislodged when you did the work and is restricting a
> line.

Always possible, since everything was quite dirty from all the leaking
fluid. I tried to clean everything up nicely before taking it all apart,
but...

> you might just live with it until one-or-the-other fails.

That's basically the mode we're in now. It still drives nice, but there's
just something that doesn't "feel" right about it. She notices it more
than me since she drives it every day.

> you did have the *FULL* (4-wheel) alignment done with all that
> suspension work, such that toe-in and camber is present and correct?

Yep, we always have the full 4 wheel alignment done. Everything checks
out fine.

She'll need new tires soon, so we'll be getting another alignment then
too.

In any case, at least the hoses aren't leaking!

Thanks for your thoughts,

Anthony

did you flush the system out?
did you use the proper mineral fluid?
I will ASSuME that the belt is not making the noise.

it could be that the ps pump is bad! :-(

"HerHusband" > wrote in message
...
> Peter,
>
>>> My wife has a 1986 Jetta GLI. The power steering has always made a
>>> whining sound when the fluid got low, but I recently replaced a
>>> couple of leaking power steering hoses, and now the steering pump
>>> seems to whine all the time (when making tight turns, not straight
>>> driving).
>>> At the same time, the steering feels a little "squirrely" despite new
>>> shocks, alignment, suspension adjustments, etc. Almost like the power
>>> steering is a little hypersensitive or something.
>
>> a) Air in the lines. When you replaced the lines, you may have
>> (somehow) trapped air in the rack.
>
> I wondered about that, but the Bentley manual I have says the system is
> essentially self-bleeding. It said to just turn the wheel lock-to-lock a
> few times to bleed the air out of the system.
>
>> b) A kink somewhere in some line that overloads the pump causing the
>> whine.
>
> I did check for kinks. None found.
>
>> c) Something dislodged when you did the work and is restricting a
>> line.
>
> Always possible, since everything was quite dirty from all the leaking
> fluid. I tried to clean everything up nicely before taking it all apart,
> but...
>
>> you might just live with it until one-or-the-other fails.
>
> That's basically the mode we're in now. It still drives nice, but there's
> just something that doesn't "feel" right about it. She notices it more
> than me since she drives it every day.
>
>> you did have the *FULL* (4-wheel) alignment done with all that
>> suspension work, such that toe-in and camber is present and correct?
>
> Yep, we always have the full 4 wheel alignment done. Everything checks
> out fine.
>
> She'll need new tires soon, so we'll be getting another alignment then
> too.
>
> In any case, at least the hoses aren't leaking!
>
> Thanks for your thoughts,
>
> Anthony